Saw 3D: Movie Review

After 6 years and 7 films (how is that possible?) another Saw sequel is opening in theaters to scare you this Halloween. The latest installment is entitled Saw 3D, and as you may expect it’s filled with guts, gore, and a group of C-list actors. The film picks up immediately where Saw VI left off and goes down a path of revenge that eventually leads us back to where it all started. Without giving too much away, the film might be the last sequel in the series, emphasis on the word might.

The Plot:

The story centers on Mark Hoffman, the apprentice and eventual successor to the infamous serial killer, JigSaw. After escaping a trap placed on him by Jigsaw’s widow Jill (Russell), he goes on a hunt to find and kill her because of her betrayal. Simultaneously there’s another storyline that features all the survivors of the previous Saw movies including Dr. Gordon (Elwes) who appeared in the very first film. One of the members of this elite group is Bobby Dagen (Flanery), who’s milked his survivor status for a book deal, money, and fame. The only problem besides his greed is his dishonesty. He was NEVER caught in one of Jigsaw’s traps, and that comes back to haunt him in more ways than one.

The Good:

Carey Elwes: Seeing Elwes’ character Dr. Gordon pop up in this film was the highlight of the movie. It wasn’t the traps or even the 3D, it was his return that made it worth watching. Gordon is the first person we saw survive one of Jigsaw’s inventions so it’s only fitting for him to return to the seventh and possibly final installment.

The So-So:

The Reverse Bear Trap: This is a device that continues to rear its ugly head. It’s become somewhat of a staple in the series. There is an element of nostalgia that comes with seeing a person wake up with it attached to their skull, but there’s also a lack of excitement because we feel as if we’ve been there and done that.

The 3D: The film was shot entirely in 3D, but there were moments where I forgot it was there. There’s lots of blood and guts being thrown at the screen but it’s not constantly in your face. The 3D is a lot subtler than you might think.

The Bad:

Trapped House: A good chunk of the film centers on one character maneuvering through a booby trapped warehouse trying to locate their loved ones. This would have worked if it didn’t remind us so much of Saw 2. There was a similar set up where all of the killings took place in a house that was rigged with various devices.

Dialogue: It’s no secret that the Saw series isn’t filled with Shakespeare but there were some laugh out loud horrible lines used in this movie. There’s actually a scene where one of the officers call Jill Tuck “crazy” 3 times in a row. It went something like this, “I knew you were crazy.” This is crazy.” OK, listen here…crazy.” That’s ridiculous even for Saw.

Chad Donella: Donella plays an internal affairs agent named Gibson, and he’s one of the film’s leads — bad choice. You can’t tell if he’s playing his role straight or if he’s trying to do a characterization of Matthew McConaughey in A Time to Kill.

Overall:

Saw 3D is filled with blood, gore, and bad acting — everything you’d expect from the film. Unfortunately, some of the traps and set ups have been done before and were boring. Other than that, it does attempt to bring the Saw saga full circle in a mildly satisfying way. If you’ve followed the franchise from the beginning, you might as well cough up the money to see how it all ends.